1. Management in social work

Social work as a practical and applied science has been gradually building its profile for many years and is trying to establish itself among the helping scientific disciplines. The development of science constantly places new demands on the systematization of new knowledge with their subsequent incorporation into practice and ensuring their long-term and effective usability. This fact also forces social work to be perceived in a broader context of mutual connections and to point out the need for effective application of new management approaches in direct practice.

The starting point for identifying management in social work is the knowledge in the context that every organization is composed of two interconnected systems: the manager and the managed. (Mydlíková, 2004, p. 12) The main goals of management can be derived by linking them to the two objects of interest. There is always someone in charge on one side, provided there is someone on the other side to direct. In order for someone to be able to manage competently, it is necessary to follow the basic goals of management, which Sedlák sets as follows:

  1. improve management practice - so that managers use basic knowledge to prevent mistakes in management,
  2. education of managers and adepts for managerial positions – to teach them to understand the principles, methods and procedures of management and to be able to use them,
  3. identification of management areas and problems that require special research and further elaboration from the point of view of managed entities. (Sedlák, 1998, p. 110-113)

It is clear from the mentioned approaches that the main goal of management from a general point of view is to achieve that the manager is able to manage the managed as efficiently as possible, provided that all knowledge, skills, principles and methodologies are mastered, including in the context of learning about the problems of the managed entities.

Management is a complex and extensive scientific discipline, and therefore it is not possible to apply it in full to the scientific system of social work. If we want to approach management and its use in social work, we must focus mainly on the main goal of social work, which is to improve the quality of people's lives by eliminating, solving and alleviating their life problems. From the point of view of social work, it should therefore be primarily about managing those activities and activities that aim to increase the quality of life of people who have found themselves in problems. According to the Czech author M. Svobodová, in connection with social work, attention should be focused mainly on two areas of management: on management as a process of creating and maintaining an environment in which individuals work and effectively achieve selected goals, and on management as a process of optimizing the use of human, material and financial resources to achieve goals. (Matoušek, 2003, p. 327)

E. Mydlíková also reminds that the meaning of management is achieving productive activity, while the manager's duty is to know how to inspire workers and also points to the need for creativity and flexibility, i.e. the manager's ability to "apply the latest technological procedures and skills on a daily basis, corresponding to the conditions." (Mydlíková, 2004, p. 10.)

Furthermore, the opinion of Š. A watchman who perceives management as modern, top management of people in the sense of high professionalism, while this activity also includes the selection of employees for the company, the organization of their working regime, the creation of a working and business climate, social issues of the functioning of the company, solving remuneration issues, motivation, stimulation and sanctions. (Strieženec, 2001, p.179)

From the knowledge outlined, it can be concluded that management in social work is generally the management and organization of the activities of managed entities with the help of managers on the basis of precisely determined plans, with subsequent control of the effectiveness of the outputs from the management process in the context of the management of a specific social service in selected areas of social work.

If we return to the issue of the goals of social work, there is a need to define the boundaries of the penetration of management into individual fields of social work in the context of managing the quality of life of people who have found themselves in problems. If we want to achieve a more complex approach to managed entities, we need to consider whether the application of general management is sufficient for the management requirements of some areas of social work and whether the moment has not come to reach for more modern approaches of integrating a specific area of ​​social management into the practice of social work. This dilemma forces us to point out the common and different elements of management and social management in the context of social work.

2. Management versus social management in social work

As a starting point of comparison, we will use the definition of Strieženac, who defined social management in terms of activities that specialize in coordinating the activities of people working in organizations operating primarily in the field of social assistance, social services, social prevention and social counseling. Emphasis is placed on human resources, while the influence of social and psychological factors is also taken into account when managing the social system. (Strieženec, 1996) From this, it can be concluded that social management differs from economically perceived management mainly because it takes into account both social and psychological management factors. Among the economically focused definitions of management in social work, we can mention Repková's view, which focuses mainly on the project method. It provides the processing of a certain project intention in terms of financial and organizational support. With this method, it encourages high quality and dynamism in services for the client and provides a new perspective on the organization of people's work and the very use of their potential for the benefit of the client. In summary, it points to a method of organizing work in relation to the client, which serves to maximize the use of resources. (Repková, 2000) The mentioned economically oriented definition bears the characteristics of a personnel and resource-oriented fact in the sense of effectiveness, but does not analyze deeper social-psychological connections. By comparing these definitions, it can be concluded that one of the distinguishing elements of management in social work from social management is precisely the broader context of examining mutual connections, especially within the limits of socio-psychological factors. To confirm the validity of this finding, we will use the identification of social management in a global context. In the publication Innovations in Social Management, the Italian author Bernhart defines social management as follows: Social management is an economic understanding of social work, with the help of which we can thematize social work and transform it into a productive offer of help that is in accordance with the rules and requirements of social groups in the context of solidarity. According to the author, social management is more than just economics, and emphasis is always placed on the social aspect of solidarity. In social management, there must be a balance between economic, socio-ethical and human elements in social work as a practical form of parallel between efficiency, sustainability and solidarity. (Bernhart 2006, p. 17-20) The given definition of social management allows us to concretize the broader context of examining mutual connections in an effort to approach a more optimal state of balance of economic, social and psychological factors in management. From this aspect, social management in social work aims to ensure the profitability of social services at a certain level, but it should not be limited to achieving profits and returns. Solidarity, ethics and humanity are relational and feedback elements of social management, which partly differentiate it from ordinary management disciplines.

Table 1 Comparison of social management and management in social work

3. Social management in the context of social capital

If we want to achieve a concrete answer to the question of how to grasp social management and how to precisely determine the object of interest in social management, we must go further in our research and examine less visible relationships, criteria and factors affecting the effectiveness of management processes in social management. System knowledge from the Kochi University of Technology in Japan contributes to the clarification of social management. The university is dedicated to issues of social management and has created the Center for Scientific Systems of Social Management". Japanese colleague Nasu presents on the website information about such a scientific system of social management, which aims to ensure the proper functioning of social systems and the achievement of set goals. Social capital occupies a central position in this system, and its basic role is to establish goals, procedures and rules to ensure an effectively functioning infrastructure or social system through it. [Searched 6. 10. 2008 at http://management.kochi-tech.ac.jp/about_us_02_e.html]. Social capital consists of "informal norms supporting cooperation between two or more individuals". By means of operationalization, social capital can be identified as the social potential of invisible feedback relationships that can achieve the cooperation of several individuals or groups. The essence of social capital consists of various objects of interest and it can be measured in two dimensions, which are divided on the one hand by individuals or groups of individuals as a functional whole. The function of social capital is to achieve higher cooperation and mutual trust. The disadvantage is that cooperation and trust can only exist in a narrow group of people (Olson, 1965).Trust as a part of the social system. It is an extremely effective part of the functionality, and it provides a fair level of support in the relationship with other people. It increases the efficiency of the system (Arrow, 1974, p. 23).

The goal of social management is to ensure effective management so that managed entities cooperate with each other, create feedback relationships and at the same time are identified with the goals of the functional unit, or social system. Social capital is such a control element in the system, through which it is possible to influence feedback relationships and cooperation of several individuals or groups in the direction of achieving set goals.

From the point of view of social work, social capital has an important role, as unlike purely human capital, it also draws attention to informal factors of management processes. Informal management factors represent the hidden potential of motivation for greater efficiency and solidarity in achieving goals in the management processes of social work.

4. Integrated model of social management for the needs of social work

As can be seen, only the interplay and perfect combination of all approaches to social management can provide a quality knowledge ground for the effective achievement of goals in the social sphere. Knowing the factors of the macro- and micro-environment of management processes, clarifying the economic connections, the laws of management and the research of sociological informal factors of management contributes to the strategic management of social systems and provides space for possible estimates of future development and possible changes brought about by the cycle of time.

If we pursue the goal of social work in the context of preservation, or improving the quality of life of individuals, groups and communities in a certain social system, and we will combine the stated main goal with the object of interest of social management, thus arriving at theoretical starting points and determining the fields of applicability of social management in the practice of social work. For the needs of social work, the already mentioned social capital serves as a central object of interest, through which the basic goals of social work can be reached. The factors of social capital can also be identified through the definition of Strieženac, who perceives social capital as "the extent of social knowledge and skills embodied in social power and in the possibility of using the entire network of social contacts". (Strieženec 1999, p.192)

By operationalizing this definition, we arrive at three central elements of interest in social management, which provide a logical framework for organizing the theoretical foundations of effective management. The identified central elements of interest in social management are social knowledge, social skills and social contacts; they form the basis of the scheme of social management and provide a systemizing whole necessary for a comprehensive understanding of management processes in social work.

Picture no. 1 Draft social management scheme for social workers

Table 2 Systematization of elements and factors of social management

Conclusion

Opinions and approaches to defining the level of penetration of management and social management into the system of social work vary according to the historical and socio-economic conditions of the countries from which the authors of the definition come. Despite the diversity of opinions, the basic elements and factors of management and social management that contribute to a more concrete understanding of the management processes of the direct management practice of social work can be identified through a consistent combination and systematization of knowledge. The proposed model of social management provides a combination of management techniques from the field of educational and social economy, while there is an effort to integrate modern techniques of creating relationships and contacts into management processes, thus deepening the social dimension of management in favor of the quality of management processes.

Author: PhDr. Mária Fabiánová

Literature:

  1. Bernhart, J., Gunsch R., Promberger, K., Traugust, K.: Innovazioni nel management sociale. Milano: Franco Angeli, 2006. 442 p. ISBN 3-7065-4190-4.
  2. Coleman, J.: Foundations of Social Theory. Cambridge: MA - Harvard University Press, 1990. 1114 p. ISBN 13: 978-0-674-31225-8.
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  6. Olson, M.: The Logic of Collective Action. Harvard: University Press. 1965. 186 p. ISBN 0-674-53751-3.
  7. Repková K.: Projecting in social work, strategies, conceptual starting points and practical issues. Bratislava: EPOS, 2000. 224 p. ISBN 80-8057-310-7.
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Article in a magazine

  1. Arrow, K.J.: The Limits of Organization. New York: NY: W.W. Norton, 1974, Source: Kotorov R. et al. In: A model for enterprise portal management: Journal of Knowledge Management: ISSN 1367-3270, 2001 Volume 5, p. 86 – 93.

  2. Fukuyama, F. Social Capital and Development: The Coming Agenda SAIS Review - Volume 22, Winter-Spring 2002, Number 1, p. 23-37.

Electronic documents - monographs

  1. NASU. Center of Scientific Systems of Social Management http://management.kochi-tech.ac.jp/about_us_02_e.html - [on-line] [6. 10. 2008]

The contribution was made at the International Conference on "Management in Social Work and Case Management", which was held on June 21, 2010. The organizer of the conference was the University of Health and Social Work of St. Elizabeth, n. o.